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Home , Cornerback, Nnamdi Asomugha, Return specialist, Skill position

2011 Draft Guide – DraftAce.com

Cornerback Rankings

1. LSU Ht: 6’1” Wt: 212 Pros: Elite size, speed and overall athleticism for a . Has the potential to be a true shutdown corner. Excels in man coverage. A physical cornerback that won’t down from mixing it up with bigger receivers at the . Shows good ball skills. Does a nice job turning and reacting to the ball in the air. An elite corner in zone coverage; does a great job reading the and reacting quickly. Far exceeds expectations for a cornerback in run support. Very reliable tackler, occasionally delivering a big hit. Above average ; can probably return kicks/punts early in his career in NFL. Cons: Overaggressive at times. Seems to get cocky on the field at times and takes too many risks. Notes: Peterson is the best cornerback prospect to enter the draft in a very long time, and possibly the best ever. There are a very select few players at the position that possess his blend of size and speed. He excels in every aspect of the game and his success on special teams is an added bonus. He could very easily come off the board higher than any in NFL Draft history. NFL Comparison: Grade: 96 – Top Three

2. Nebraska Ht: 6’0” Wt: 205 Pros: Converted who showed steady progress throughout his career. Impressive size and speed. Looks very fluid in man coverage. Can turn and run with any receiver. Physical at the line of scrimmage. A hard worker with top intangibles. Cons: Still learning the position. Needs to do a better job of turning to see the ball in the air rather than just reacting to his man. Puts forth some effort in run support, but prefers to just swipe at players legs rather than wrap them up. Notes: Amukamara may actually be underrated due to the hype surrounding Patrick Peterson as the elite cornerback in this year’s class. In nearly any other year, Amukamara would be the top prospect at his position. He has the size and speed to be a shutdown corner and his career path has shown a steady rise, giving teams reason to believe his best football is still ahead of him. NFL Comparison: Grade: 92 – Mid 1st round

3. Colorado Ht: 6’2” Wt: 205 Pros: Elite size. A very physical cornerback who uses his size to his advantage. Won’t back down from getting physical with bigger receivers. Shows good fundamentals in both zone and man coverage. Rarely caught out of position. Excels in run support. Reliable wrap-up tackler. Cons: Speed is his biggest question mark. Often lined up against bigger receivers, leaving the faster guys to teammate Jalil Brown. Does he have the athleticism to play man coverage with the NFL’s elite? Overaggressive both in coverage and in run support. Needs to be more patient and develop better instincts. Suffered a concussion in 2010. Notes: Smith has the potential to be an elite cornerback but there are definitely concerns about his speed and athleticism. However, he should still be a high pick because his skill set would translate easily to free safety if it doesn't work out at cornerback. His size allows him to be a versatile prospect, which should ease the mind of anyone hesitating to give him a shot in the 1st or early 2nd round. NFL Comparison: Grade: 91 – Late 1st round

4. Aaron Williams Texas Ht: 6’1” Wt: 195 40: Impressive size with good all-around athleticism. Definitely has the tools of an elite cornerback but consistency needs to improve. Grade: 85 5. New Mexico State Ht: 6’0” Wt: 184 40: Elite speed and athleticism; can turn and run with any receiver. Limited experience against top competition – players from the WAC typically don’t fair well in NFL. Grade: 83 6. Miami FL Ht: 5’11” Wt: 195 40: Athletically gifted with the speed to match up with anyone. Very up and down career. Shuts down a top receiver one game, then gets beat by lesser opponent the next. Grade: 81 7. Louisville Ht: 5’11” Wt: 185 40: Experienced, fundamentally sound player who saw significant playing time throughout his four years at Louisville. Arrested for aggravated assault against his girlfriend in June 2010. Grade: 78 8. Brandon Burton Utah Ht: 6’0” Wt: 185 40: Decent size and athleticism. Has the potential to develop into a starter but is still raw. Experienced on special teams; two blocks in 2010. Grade: 75 9. Ohio State Ht: 5’11” Wt: 190 40: Impressive athlete who is technically sound and has plenty of experience against top competition. Suffered a broken wrist in 2011 Sugar Bowl. Grade: 74 10. USC Ht: 5’11” Wt: 180 40: Didn’t start until his senior year, but developed into one of the few bright spots on a shaky USC . Has the potential to continue to grow as he gets more playing time. Grade: 72 11. Curtis Brown Texas Ht: 6’0” Wt: 180 40: Elite speed; has the ability to stay with any receiver in man coverage. Not a very physical player and can get pushed around by stronger receivers. Grade: 70 12. Korey Lindsey Southern Illinois Ht: 5’10” Wt: 182 40: Elite athlete who dominated his level of competition. Experienced on kick and returns. One of the best players not invited to the combine. Grade: 69